Air filter housings for motor vehicles may consist of a base portion and a cover portion, configured to receive an air filter therein. The cover is secured onto the base portion by any number of conventional means, including screws, studs or spring retention clips. Retentions clips made of elastic materials such as spring steel are known and widely used in securing covers to air filter housings and other such housings in motor vehicle applications. Such retention clips are typically pivotally secured onto an air cleaner housing in some fashion and are configured to engage and clamp an air cleaner housing cover to the air cleaner housing body.
Air cleaner housings are typically configured in two separable halves, each which are provided with mating flanges. The air filter element is typically installed into a cavity in the air cleaner housing by separating the housing halves, inserting the filter element, and then securing the housing halves together.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,213,643 discloses a metal retention clip of the knee lever type, usable to clamp a filter cover onto a filter housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,306,192 discloses a filter housing separable into two housing portions and provided with locking clamps having tension levers operable to retentively clamp the two housing portions together. A filter is installed into a cavity therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,311,748 discloses an air filter assembly including abutting cylindrical housing halves. The housing halves are joined by T-shaped appendages and a locking mechanism. A filter is installed into a cavity therein.
Filter elements installed into such filter housings are typically provided with a resilient seal member to seal between the filter element and the filter housing. The seal prevents unfiltered air from bypassing the filter element and entering the clean side of the filter housing.
A problem with the use of screws or studs as a retention means to secure a cover onto an air filter housing is that screws and studs require the use of a tool to tighten or loosen the retention means. Metal retention clips do not require the use of a tool but can at times be difficult to remove and re-fasten.
As can be seen, there is a need for a clip or retention means for securing mating portions of a housing together, a clip or retention means that does not require the use of tools, is quickly engaged and released and is low in cost.